Through the Barrier
by Painted Leaves
Summary: After he dies, Severus is granted a chance to fix the mistakes he made in life. Things don't go as he expects, of course. Severus/Lily, AU - Marauders era. Rated because I'm paranoid.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.**

_**Author's note:**_ This is my first fanfic, so please bear with me as I try to figure out the system. I really love reading Severus/Lily stories, so hopefully this will turn out well. Also, this hasn't been betaed, though I don't think errors will be _too_ distracting. Word catches most spelling and grammar mistakes. Anyway, please let me know what you think! What you like, what you don't like, what I should add. I love feedback. :) Happy reading!

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

The pair of green eyes was the last thing Severus saw before everything faded and went dark. Those eyes had haunted him for his entire life, and there they were, staring down at him with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. There was something else there, too. Sadness, maybe? Regret? Severus didn't know what the Potter boy had to regret. He would find out everything he needed to know from the memories. He would know how Severus had tried so hard to protect him, for her, and how he had failed. He would know that he was walking to his death when he went to fight the Dark Lord for the last time, and he would know that it was Severus who sent him there.

_Of course, _the dark-haired man thought to himself bitterly, _he never trusted me, anyway. Maybe the memories will change his mind, but I'll still be the one who sent him into Death's embrace_. The Potions master knew that he had never given the Potter boy a reason to trust him. Severus had been just another teacher, and a cruel one at that. He deserved to know the truth, at least.

The last thing that pounded its way through the dying man's head, repeating over and over with every heartbeat was a simple apology: _I'm sorry Lily, I did my best. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…_ Severus took one last shuddering breath and closed his eyes, turning away from the brilliant green ones that had caused him so much pain. He didn't deserve the pity that filled them. The seconds ticked on agonizingly and the man could feel life draining from him as the snake's venom pulsed through his veins. Everything seemed to stop for a moment and his pain was lifted. There was a wonderful sensation of floating away from his body, away from the death and the haunting gaze of Lily Evan's son, away from everything that had once caused him trouble. Severus faded out of consciousness, gratefully accepting the soft, warm darkness that washed over his mind. _I'm sorry, Lily_…

. . . . . .

Suddenly, Severus woke up. The brightness was blinding at first and he squinted irritably, trying to make sense of where he was. He appeared to be laying on a flat surface of some sort and everything was white. He sat up gingerly, running his hand over the side of his neck where the blasted snake had bitten him. There were no gaping holes there, just smooth, unmarked skin.

_I must be dead, then,_ he thought to himself wryly, getting to his feet. He felt wonderful, happier than he had been in many years. The former professor found that he was wearing his old robes, the ones he had worn while teaching all of his classes. He didn't hurt anywhere, he wasn't bleeding, and the persistent sting of the Dark Mark was no longer present. He slid up his left sleeve to see if it too had disappeared, but he found that it had merely faded into what looked like an old scar. _Lovely, now Potter and I match_, he thought to himself, his former dry sense of humor returning. Of course, magical scars probably wouldn't matter once one was dead.

After taking an inventory that all his body parts were present and intact, Severus decided he should figure out where he was. He wasn't in heaven yet, was he? He couldn't possibly be, because in heaven there would be the lovely Lily Evans running up to hug him and thank him for taking care of her son. Then she would declare her never-ending love for him and they would ride off together on a white horse into the sunset, right after trampling James into oblivion. No, of course not. That would be too much to ask for. Severus mused over the idea for a moment- after all, he had all the time in the world to think -and decided that he would love to see the look on James' face when his wife proclaimed his love for his greatest enemy. The dark-haired man sighed and shook his head, as if to clear it. He had more pressing matters to deal with.

The first of these was to figure out where he was and what in Merlin's name he was doing there. He surveyed the area he was standing in, turning in a full circle to spot something familiar, but it seemed like nothing more than an endless white space. The Potions master was starting to grow impatient and decided it would probably be best to start walking. He took off at a brisk pace in who-knows-which-direction, slowing only when he realized he could see shapes in the whiteness. There were what looked to be brick columns in varying shades of white and light gray. Peering closer in that general direction, Severus was startled to realize there were platform numbers on some of the pillars. 3, 4, 5… He started walking down the row, counting and checking the signs until he was approaching number 9.

He wasn't surprised at the figure standing between platforms nine and ten. In fact, he had been half-expecting something like this to happen. The tall, slim figure and long white hair and beard were all too familiar to Severus. "Well, hello there, Albus." The younger man spoke for the first time since he had appeared in this strange place. "Fancy meeting you here. Last time I saw you, you were falling off the tower, dead, just as you had asked." His voice was icy calm, hinting at the feelings of resentment and betrayal within him.

He also wasn't surprised when Dumbledore merely smiled and opened his hands, as if shrugging away the favor Severus had provided him. "Nearly everything went to plan that night, Severus," the headmaster informed him cheerfully. "Though, I admit that the wand possession didn't quite work out as I'd hoped. Harry fixed that slight problem for us, though."

Severus was aghast at the casual remark. "Fixed it?" he echoed furiously. "I died because the Dark Lord wanted possession of the wand! The power was supposed to end with you, remember? I never defeated you- we planned your death and you should have died as its master!"

Dumbledore merely inclined his head to acknowledge Severus' outburst, seemingly unaffected by the obvious accusation behind the words. "Ah, yes, that's the part that didn't work out," he explained, apparently deciding to ignore the younger man's seething. "You see, since Draco had disarmed me, he became the Elder Wand's true master. Harry took Draco's wand from him a few weeks ago, though, so everything will be alright."

"And yet, I'm still dead," Severus hissed. Everything was most certainly not alright! "Harry is going to die, just like you planned, and then what? He's dead! He can't do anything after that! The snake is still alive, anyway, and nobody can defeat the Dark Lord. He's too powerful."

At this, Dumbledore's smile grew wider. Severus hadn't thought that was possible. The old man must be senile, seeing as how he was taking delight in the fact that everybody was dying. "I'm afraid that's where you're mistaken, Severus," he replied gently, as if he were correcting a student in class. The dark-haired man simply stared at him skeptically. "In fact, I've already spoken with Harry. You took your time getting over here, so I figured I might as well deal with him first. He survived Voldemort's attempt to kill him again, the Horcrux within him was destroyed, and he is probably preparing for the final duel as we speak. He's quite a remarkable boy, you know. I'd explain the mechanics of Lily's enchantment, but, frankly, I'd really like to watch this last battle." His bright blue eyes twinkled over the tops of his spectacles.

Severus hated when he did that. It made him feel guilty, as if he didn't deserve the kindness Dumbledore was so willing to give. "So, what now?" he asked irritably, his anger dissipating somewhat. It really didn't matter much to him that he was dead. He didn't have anything to live for, anyway. "Are you just here to take me to heaven or wherever I'm supposed to go?"

Dumbledore merely shook his head, still smiling. "No. Actually, I'm here to give you a choice," he replied simply. "There are many, many ancient forms of magic that we are incapable of understanding. One of these is the afterlife process." He spoke delicately, as if death was a subject Severus did not wish to talk about. "Sometimes, when a wizard- or witch, for that matter -has experienced great remorse within their lifetime, particularly when dealing with emotions or bonds such as friendship or love, then are granted a chance to go back and fix their mistakes. Do you understand what I am talking about?"

As the words registered in Severus' brain, he felt his mouth go dry. "You mean- Lily…" he trailed off, wondering at the possibilities of such an option. Suddenly his cynical nature kicked in and he glared at Dumbledore suspiciously. "This isn't a joke, is it?" he demanded angrily. This seemed like the kind of thing the Marauders would do: offer him a chance to fix everything, to win Lily's heart and live happily ever after, and then rip it all away when he was most vulnerable.

Dumbledore's smile slid from his face, replaced by a look of hurt. "Do you really think that poorly of me, Severus?" he asked quietly. The younger man didn't know how to reply, but those piercing blue eyes were making him feel guilty again. "I don't quite understand how everything works, but if you so choose, you may return to an unspecified point in your life in order to fix or prevent anything you regretted in the future. Would you like that option?"

Severus nodded eagerly, unable to speak. His heart was pounding. He'd see Lily again, alive and happy… he'd be able to take back the things he so wished he could, he could change his life and be with her. "Yes, please…" he croaked, voice hoarse with the prospect of seeing his dreams come true.

The headmaster smiled slightly, and opened his arms again. "Before you go, I'd like to ask you something," he told Severus. The dark-haired man twitched slightly but he remained attentive. "Where do you suppose we are?"

The Potions master was somewhat taken aback. He had been expecting something about remorse or Lily or even Harry. "King's Cross, of course," he replied incredulously. "Can't you see the signs and pillars?" He trailed off slightly, confused. Where did Dumbledore think they were?

The elderly man simply nodded. "I can't tell, of course," he informed a bewildered Severus. "We're in your head, after all." He grinned at the alarmed look on the younger man's face. "I suppose we're in front of the barrier for 9 3/4?" Dumbledore guessed. When Severus nodded, he clapped his hands together once- another irritating habit, the Potions master thought. "Magic seems to have constants. Incidentally, Harry also found himself at King's Cross, though it always looks different to everyone. I suppose it's because you both found refuge at Hogwarts, and this was simply the means of traveling between the two worlds." Severus still looked a bit dazed and Dumbledore sighed. "I suppose you should get going now," he told the younger man. "This final battle will be most spectacular. The view of the world from heaven is quite incredible, you know." He winked at Severus, who looked slightly alarmed. "Ah, well," he continued, stepping back and gesturing vaguely toward the barrier. "I can't see it, but I'm sure it's in this general area. Just go through the barrier that would normally take you to the Hogwarts Express and you'll be sent back to the past, to your younger body. Have fun, and don't get into too much trouble!" He winked again at Severus and then faded away into the whiteness.

The dark-haired man merely blinked and shook his head again. He'd forgotten how odd Dumbledore was. Taking a deep breath, he stepped toward the barrier. This was it. This was the solution to all his problems. He just had to make sure he didn't mess it up again… Steeling his nerve, Severus stepped through the pillar and crossed into the world of magic, back into his past when everything was still alright.


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.K. Rowling's property, not mine.**

_**Author's note: **_Thanks for the favorites and reviews on that first part! The story won't get really interesting until the next chapter, but Severus gets to see Lily again now. :) There's a little Sev/Lily fluff in the middle of this (sorry, I couldn't resist!). Happy reading, and please let me know what you think. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

The sudden sound of voices and people pushing carts startled Severus into opening his eyes. He was back on Platform 9 3/4 for the first time, one hand clasping his mother's and the other pushing the trolley in front of him. The young boy who had been a dead man only moments ago felt quite disoriented. He looked up at his mother for the first time in what felt like a hundred years. _When was the last time I was this small?_ Severus wondered to himself. Eileen Prince Snape was a tall, forbidding woman at this point of her life. She hadn't yet broken under her husband's drunken rages. Her son promised himself that he would never let that happen again. In the past, he had been too weak, too afraid to stand up to his father. Everything would be different now. He was a 37-year old wizard in an 11-year old's body. He had an incredible knowledge of spells and potions, ranging from the darkest of magic to healing. _Well, this ought to be interesting,_ Severus thought to himself wryly.

As he and his mother walked toward the train in silence, the former Potions master stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the little Muggleborn, red-haired girl with her parents. It was as if everything in the universe had fallen into place. Everything in his life he had hoped and prayed and begged for was standing right there, in front of him. _Lily…_ The girl's head turned and she caught sight of him. The smile that broke across her face was like light shining down from the heavens to Severus. He allowed himself a brief moment of basking in that glory before realizing the irony of the word choice. _Note to self: don't ever pursue poetry as a pastime,_ he thought sarcastically. Lily had never cared much for poetry, anyway. At least, she had never liked the kind provided by James Potter.

She waved at him quickly and then turned her attention to her father, away from Severus. He felt his heart sink a little bit, but he consoled himself with the thought that he'd have seven years and maybe more to spend with her. He was startled out of his thoughts when his mother spoke.

"Oh, good, there's your little friend," she commented curtly. From the tone of her voice, Severus knew she wanted to leave as soon as possible. She hadn't had much contact with anyone in the Wizarding world since her parents disowned her for marrying a Muggle. Being the social outcast type like Severus himself, she probably didn't want to hang around a crowd of potentially judgmental magical folk. "You can go with her, right? Let me know how you're doing and please stay out of trouble. I know that won't be a problem for you, of course." She kissed the top of his head briefly, then added, "Pay attention in class, try to make some friends, don't do anything dumb. I'll see you next summer, and let me know if you need anything. I can't promise any new clothes, but I'll do my best. Tell Lily I said hello, please. Goodbye, Sev. I love you." With that parting message, she turned and walked quickly through the barrier again.

Severus stared at the spot his mother had just vanished from. He knew she had never been one to show much emotion, but this was ridiculous. _Don't normal mothers stay to send their children off, especially the first time?_ he wondered. Maybe this was why he had so many problems growing up: inattentive parents. The boy (man?) shrugged inwardly and continued pushing his trolley toward the train. He would have to inventory everything in his trunk later, to make sure it was all in useable condition. A few _Reparos_ might be necessary, but Severus would make it work. At least he didn't have an owl or anything to deal with.

After leaving his trunk to be loaded on the train, the boy turned back toward Lily and her family, eager to speak with his friend. He watched suspiciously as Petunia spoke to the smaller girl in low, angry tones, and he grew uncomfortable when they both shot glances at him. The sight of Lily's beautiful green eyes was enough to reassure him that everything was alright, though. He simply grinned at her and she gave him a small smile in return. After a moment, she stretched to give both her parents a hug, said something softly to Petunia, and then quickly walked over to where Severus was waiting for her.

His heart was pounding as he drew her in for a hug, holding her tightly. Was he acting normal enough? Would he have done something like this before? He didn't want to draw attention to himself if he was behaving differently. "How are you? Are you ready to go?" he asked hoarsely, brain not quite functioning right. Those big green eyes were right there, right in front of him. _I must be dreaming,_ he thought to himself. _Or maybe Dumbledore lied and I'm in heaven now._ "Wait, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, realizing that Lily's eyes were filling with tears. _Did I say something? I couldn't have, I just started talking to her…_

Lily simply rubbed her nose, an old habit that Severus had forgotten about. She had always done that when she was upset. "No, everything's fine," she replied. "Can you believe it? We're finally off to Hogwarts!" Her gallant attempt to sound cheerful didn't convince Severus and she seemed to realize it. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked him, frowning slightly. "You're acting like you've seen Merlin himself or something. Is there somebody behind me?" She glanced over her shoulder playfully and Severus cleared his that.

"Ah, no, I was just thinking about something," he muttered in response. "We should probably be getting on the train now. It's nearly eleven." When she merely nodded in reply, he took charge and led the way to one of the doors. As he stepped back to let her on first- girls liked it when boys were gentlemen, right? -he noticed that she was once again looking miserable, staring blankly at her parents and Petunia. Severus sighed, remembering how the world of magic had driven Lily and her sister apart. He couldn't change that, he knew, but maybe he could help a little bit.

The two of them found an empty compartment quite easily, as most of the other children were saying last-minute goodbyes to family members. Lily sat in the farthest corner from the door, pressing herself against the window. Severus sat down across from her before making a decision. She wasn't going anywhere, and he knew he _had_ to get out of his Muggle clothes quickly. "Um, Lily?" he asked hesitantly. When her eyes simply flickered toward him, he continued. "I'm going to get changed now, if you don't mind. I'll be back in a couple minutes." The red-haired girl nodded slightly and Severus stood up again, exiting the compartment with one last concerned look.

When the boy returned in his standard un-Sorted Hogwarts robes, he received an unpleasant shock upon finding the inhabitants of his compartment. Inside were a very unhappy-looking Lily and two noisy boys who would eventually take it upon themselves to make Severus' life as miserable as possible. _Potter and Black, we meet again,_ he thought to himself disdainfully as he pushed his way between them. He sat down across from Lily, shooting a dirty look at each of the other boys. "They're not bothering you, are they?" he asked quietly, even though neither of the Marauders was paying attention to him. "If they are, we can make them leave." Lily shook her head mutely and the tears began to flow. Severus was alarmed. "Lil, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly. _What happened? I can't remember!_

"It's Tuney," Lily sobbed. "She h-hates me. She says I'm a f-freak." She gulped a bit and Severus moved to the other side of the compartment, so he was sitting next to her. He put his arms around her hesitantly and then held her tightly again when she turned to cry into his shoulder.

He remembered now: Petunia had sent a letter to Dumbledore asking if she could attend Hogwarts, as well. He and Lily had sneaked into her room one afternoon when she was gone and had read the reply mail. "No, no, don't be upset," he whispered to her. "She'll calm down after a while, just give her time. Besides, we're not freaks. She's just jealous because she wants magic, too." He could see that this was helping a bit. He knew he should probably not insult her sister though, as much as he wanted to. "You should be excited right now. We're on our way to Hogwarts! It's going to be amazing, I promise," he added, knowing full well that Lily would love it there. She hadn't grown up around magic, so the school would seem like a dream come true. "You're ready to learn about magic, right?"

She nodded, sitting up more and giving Severus a small smile. When he grinned at her, she left out a watery chuckle, then a full laugh. "You're the best, Sev," she whispered to him, hugging him again and then sitting up straight. She wiped her eyes in a somewhat dignified manner and he moved back to his seat. He knew that she had no idea how much those words meant to him.

Something seemed a bit off at that moment and Severus looked around. Potter and Black had stopped their conversation and were watching him and Lily. The former Potions master's eyes narrowed and he stared hard at the other boys. If either of them _dared_ to say anything rude or hurtful… A long stream of profanities wound its way through Severus' mind, intermixed with various curses and hexes. _At least the Marauders won't be able to torture me again,_ he thought to himself grimly.

Suddenly, Potter spoke to them. It was the most bizarre thing: something coming out of _his_ mouth, in Severus' general direction that wasn't an insult or jinx. "So, what are your guys's names? And what house do you wanna be in?" he asked. Severus was taken aback. _James Potter is making small talk with me?_ He never would have thought anything like this would happen. _Strange things happen when you're dead, I guess._ However, he was too cynical to believe that Potter was simply asking honest questions.

"Severus Snape," he said icily. "And this is Lily Evans." He didn't say anything about the House question. He knew that if he mentioned anything about Slytherin, the hateful comments would begin and never end.

"I've only heard a little bit about the Houses, but I don't think I'd mind being put in any of them," Lily replied, not knowing the effect her statement would have on James. "Frankly, I'm just glad to be going to Hogwarts." At the look of confusion on the other two boys' faces, she explained simply, "I'm Muggleborn."

James frowned a bit, then glanced at Severus. "Well, you seem… well-informed," he stated, seeming to be judging the relationship between Lily and Severus. _Merlin's beard, is he already going after her?_ Severus wondered, horrified and outraged. "Anyway, I want to be a Gryffindor, like my dad. Sirius here comes from a long line of Slytherins, but he reckons he might break the family curse."

The other Marauder smirked slightly and added, "Yeah, I might be the only decent one of the lot. I'd love to see the look on mum's face when I end up in Gryffindor."

James surveyed Severus and Lily through thick, rectangular glasses. _Merlin, he looks just like Harry at that age,_ the Potions master thought to himself sourly. He had never cared for either of the boys. _Except his eyes, of course_.

"You look like you'd be a Slytherin," James remarked to Severus, disdain coloring his voice. "But I think you'll probably end up in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, maybe." His last comment was directed at Lily, though he sounded more curious than anything.

"So what if I am?" Severus replied contemptuously. He had never seen anything wrong with being a Slytherin, except maybe the Dark Arts part. Of course, he wouldn't get into any of that this time. He'd had more than enough experience with the Death Eaters.

"You know Lily, it never looks good to be hanging around with a Slytherin," Sirius informed her in a conspiratorial whisper. "Especially not his type. He's got dark magic written all over him, I can tell."

Lily looked scandalized. "I think I know Severus much better than you two, thank you very much!" she replied hotly. The Potions master felt a rush of gratitude toward the girl. Defending him might have earned her nothing more than resentment from him last time, but he was grateful for her company now. "If you don't mind, I think we'd prefer not to be bothered again."

James and Sirius looked taken aback, but they didn't bother either of the other two children after that. "Thanks, Lil," Severus murmured to her once the other boys weren't paying attention. He knew he would have to be better at expressing his emotions if he wanted to keep her as a friend- and maybe more.

Lily blushed slightly at the genuine appreciation in his eyes and replied quietly, "Don't mention it. Those two will be nothing but trouble, just watch. I'm glad you're with me, Sev. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Severus merely smiled at her and sat back. _I don't know what I'd do, either, Lily,_ he thought to himself, but he didn't say anything else. The boy sighed softly- he seemed to be unusually tired -and he pulled an old Muggle book out of his bag and began reading. Maybe it would be a quiet ride, for once.


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just using the characters as puppets.**

_**Author's note: **_This was definitely the most fun chapter to write so far. You'll get to see the Sorting, where the story starts really changing from the books. :) Please let me know what you think! The feedback I've been getting so far seems good, but tell me if you see any errors or anything.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

Several hours later, Severus emerged from the train looking quite hassled. During the trip, James and Sirius had bought everything on the sweets trolley… and they had eaten it all. Needless to say, it hadn't been a pleasant ride.

It was already quite dark out, and the platform was very small and very crowded. The boy had been pushed aside roughly as James and Sirius practically charged off the train, but he simply let out an angry "_Hmmph_!" and turned to help Lily off.

"Thank goodness we're here, I don't think I could handle another minute stuck with those two," he complained. "I feel bad for whoever ends up in their dormitory."

Lily's mouth twisted in sympathy for those yet-unknown roommates. "I think I'd go mad before Christmas," she replied. "Thank goodness I'm not a boy! Do you really think I'll be in Gryffindor? Or Ravenclaw? I don't know much about magic at all." Her expression was doubtful.

"It doesn't matter, you're still a brilliant student," Severus replied with a small smile. "Anyway, we'll be Sorted soon. We should probably get going. We don't want to be late for the feast."

The two of them could hear Hagrid's shouts of "Firs' years, over here!" and they quickly made their way to the docks. "We take the boats this year, but the next years we'll be in the carriages," Severus explained quietly to Lily. She simply nodded, her eyes wide with awe and excitement. He had forgotten what it was like to see the castle for the first time.

The two of them ended up in a boat along with a rather pallid, tired-looking boy. "Hi," he said softly, looking at Severus and Lily hopefully. "I'm Remus Lupin." Severus was startled. He hadn't even recognized the other boy. He looked worse than he had when Severus had seen him last, but that had been a while ago. His hair was long and messy, and his robes were just as shabby as they had been when he'd been a teacher. It was obvious he had just gotten over a full moon, judging by his exhausted look.

"I'm Lily Evans," Lily replied to him, her voice kind, "and this is Severus Snape. It's nice to meet you." She seemed a bit lost for a moment, unsure how to carry on the conversation. In any other circumstances, Severus would have teased her about being lost for words, but this was different. "So, Remus, what house do you want to be in?" she asked him, peering at him curiously.

The light-haired boy looked a bit surprised that she wanted to talk to him, but he responded politely. "I don't really know," he confessed. "My dad was in Gryffindor and my mom was in Ravenclaw, so I guess either of those two would be good. I'm just happy to be here, I guess." He suddenly looked alarmed and clamped his mouth shut. It was evident he hadn't meant to let the last bit slip.

Lily looked at him curiously, and Severus knew she was comparing the conversation to the one they'd had with Potter and Black. Remus couldn't be a Muggleborn, so he really had no good excuse for being happy to be at Hogwarts. Severus sighed inwardly and decided to rescue the poor boy.

"Didn't want to get sent abroad, did you?" he asked with a smirk. "Leaving your family is always hard, but it's worse when you're going to another country." He stopped when Lily subtly dug her elbow into his ribs- he knew she was trying to prevent him from making fun of Remus.

However, the light-haired boy looked relieved at the excuse, and he seized it gratefully. "Y-yes, my parents thought about sending me to Beauxbatons," he stammered. "I didn't want to leave the country, though." He smiled nervously at the other two. Severus let out a small snort and Lily looked satisfied. The three of them didn't talk much for the rest of the brief ride, Lily and Remus preferring to stare at the castle in awe.

After all the boats passed through a curtain of hanging ivy, the students clambered out out of them onto the shore. Hagrid led them up a short, muddy passage to the front entrance of the castle, where Minerva- _Professor McGonagall_, Severus corrected himself mentally -let them inside.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she addressed all the anxious-looking first years as they stood clustered in the entrance hall. She proceeded to explain the Sorting and how the Houses worked, as well as explaining the point systems. Severus tuned it all out until the end. As a former Head of House, he already knew everything there was to know about the Houses.

Professor McGonagall left them briefly to absorb all this new information. Lily turned to Severus immediately. "Oh, I hope we don't have to take a test or anything to be Sorted!" she said worriedly. Severus merely blinked, surprised. _I didn't tell her anything about being Sorted?_ he wondered. _Maybe Mother didn't give me that kind of information_.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he replied soothingly. "You're brilliant, remember?" He smiled at her and she grinned in response. Professor McGonagall returned and ushered them father inside, into the Great Hall. Many whispers rose among the first years upon seeing the ceiling and floating candles for the first time. Lily, Severus noted, was still looking around in awe at all the magic surrounding her.

When the first years were all gathered in the front of the hall, Professor McGonagall brought out the Sorting Hat and a stool to accompany it. It opened it brim and sang its traditional song, which Severus didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to. He had heard 15 years worth of songs from the stupid hat, and he no longer cared about House unity and whatever other rubbish it tried to force on them.

The students all burst into applause after it sang- another tradition. Lily looked around at Severus, a delighted smile on her face. He smiled thinly in return, but she didn't seem to notice. _And we'll be parting ways again, dear Lily,_ he thought sourly to himself. But what if they both ended up in Ravenclaw or something? _That would be nice, _he mused. He knew it wouldn't happen, though. Lily was too strong, too brave for the hat to put her anywhere but Gryffindor.

"Avery, Matthew!" Professor McGonagall called, and Severus realized that the Sorting had begun. The boy called walked up to the hat with a smirk on his face. Severus felt an unpleasant jolt in his stomach as he recognized his old roommate and fellow Death Eater.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted, and Avery stalked proudly to his new House table amidst the cheering of the other Slytherins. Severus sighed. It was going to be a long seven years with his Housemates.

He managed to look as though he was paying attention through the rest of the Sorting, but he was preoccupied by the knowledge of suffering to come. Most of the students didn't register in his mind, but he flinched at the occasional name of a Death Eater, or, in the case of "Black, Sirius!", other varying levels of misery-causers.

He did, however, watch as Lily was called and then Sorted into Gryffindor. He even managed to give her a small smile, hiding his anguish as she was wrenched away from him again. A visibly trembling "Lupin, Remus!" was also Sorted into Gryffindor, and a dreamy looking "Lovegood, Xenophilius!" was put in Ravenclaw, to the dismay of the other eagles. "Macdonald, Mary!" followed Lupin to the Gryffindor table; Severus knew she had been one of Lily's friends.

It wasn't until "Pettigrew, Peter!" that Severus felt anything more than just a flicker of emotion. No, this was a full-blow hatred toward the man who betrayed Lily to the Dark Lord. Severus knew that he himself had played a part in it, but it had been Pettigrew who gave up James and Lily's hiding place. The slimy git didn't deserve to be put in Gryffindor. Frankly, Severus thought he didn't deserve to be put in any of the Houses, but he wouldn't be able to do anything about that. But maybe…

Severus gripped his wand hidden in his pocket. "_Confundo_," he whispered, directing all his anger at Pettigrew toward the Sorting Hat.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted and a pale Peter stumbled toward the green and silver-clad students. There wasn't much applause for him. Severus was grimly pleased that the spell had worked, but then, to his horror, he realized he would be sharing a dorm room with the rat. _Blast it…_

"Potter, James!" was called up next, and Severus was tempted to use the spell again. However, he didn't think he would survive living with the other Marauder for seven years. "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and James swaggered off to his new table. Sirius greeted him with a grin and a high-five, while Severus glowered at James' proximity to Lily.

Several more students were Sorted, including "Prewett, Alice!", who became one of Lily's roommates. Then Professor McGonagall called "Snape, Severus!". Severus sighed and made his way through the remaining un-Sorted first years to the hat. When it was placed on his head, he could sense a strange, ancient magic probe his mind. Curious, he tried using some Occlumency against it, but it had no effect whatsoever on the bloody hat that was digging through his brain.

_You have a strange mind, Mr. Snape,_ the hat told him. Severus knew instinctively that no one else could hear the conversation. _A very strange mind, indeed. There are too many memories here for one so young. And you have already been Sorted? How odd. I have seen ones like you, yes, but they are few and far between._

Severus was growing impatient. How long would it take for the thing to put him in Slytherin?

_Ah, just wait, young master,_ the hat said. It sounded amused. _You have many qualities here, ones that could put you in any of the Houses. You are cunning and ambitious, certainly, but also highly intelligent. You are loyal as well, and very brave. One thing stands out most of all, I think. The girl…_

It felt as though thousands of images of Lily were flying across his eyes, accompanied by emotions: pain, loss, regret, sorrow.

_You are dead, are you not, Mr. Snape? _the hat asked him, but Severus was sure it already knew the answer. It had undoubtedly seen him die in his memories. _You died for her son, it would seem, after protecting him for many years. And you risked your life many times to provide the rebels a way to fight Voldemort. _The hat could sense his discomfort, he was sure of it. It was probably laughing at him already. _You even killed a man, on his orders, to put him out of his pain and suffering. That is a very brave thing, is it not, Mr. Snape?_

Suddenly, Severus knew what was going to happen before it did. His stomach dropped as the hat opened its brim and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" There was a stunned silence in the hall, and then a smatter of clapping from the red-and-gold table. No one seemed as shocked as Severus, though. Before the hat was whisked away from his head, he heard it say, _I wish you the best of luck in you endeavors, Mr. Snape_.

As he walked quickly to the Gryffindor table in a bit of a daze, Severus caught sight of Lily's face. She was positively beaming at him, overjoyed that he would be with her. Severus gave her a quick grin as he squeezed in between her and Potter, ignoring the dirty looks that the other boy shot at him.

_That barmy old thing _knew_ I came back to fix things with Lily!_ Severus marveled in disbelief. He wasn't sure if it had Sorted him as it had because of that, or because he really belonged in Gryffindor. He suddenly remembered a conversation he'd once had with Dumbledore:

"'I sometimes think we Sort too soon,'" he had told Severus. The Potions master had been shocked then, but not nearly as much as he was now. _Is an extra 26 years long enough, Albus?_ Severus thought wryly to himself, looking up at the teachers' table. The headmaster wasn't looking at him, but Severus knew he had probably been surprised, just like everybody else in the hall.

He couldn't pay attention for the rest of the Sorting. Between the fact that he was sitting at the Gryffindor table, and he was sitting right next to Lily Evans, there was no way he'd be able to focus on watching the other smallish children-creatures be put in their Houses. He had already seen 15 years' worth of Sorting, anyway.

Once the last of the first years had been Sorted, Professor McGonagall put away the hat and stool, and Dumbledore stood up to address the students.

"Welcome back for another wonderful year of learning," he said to them, smiling happily. "I would like to remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is still off-limits, and, no matter what you may have heard from older students, the centaurs do not appreciate you asking them for, er, _pony rides_." There were a few snickers at this, and Severus wondered just what had happened for an announcement like that to be made. Dumbledore continued, "Please note that an updated list of banned items can be found outside Mr. Filch's office, as well. Also, Professor Sprout would like me to let you know that we have recently planted a Whomping Willow on the Hogwarts grounds. The tree is quite antisocial, if I do say so myself, and it does not like people getting close to it. For your own safety, please stay away from it."

The headmaster looked down at all the students, eyes twinkling, and added, "Don't try putting Christmas ornaments on it in the winter, either, no matter how funny that may seen. The tree is very temperamental and can cause serious injury to anyone who gets too close to it. With that said, I am sure you are all very hungry from your trip. Let the feast begin!"

Food appeared on all the tables, much to the delight of many first years. For Severus, however, it was as normal as anything could be. Lily looked around excitedly.

"Can you believe this, Sev? It's amazing!" she exclaimed. "Magic is just incredible. I love it here already. And we're in the same House, too! We'll be together all the time, in classes and we can hang out together in the evenings, too, and at breakfast and lunch and dinner…" She trailed off, apparently imagining every aspect of the rest of the school year spent with Severus.

"Yes, it's wonderful," he replied simply, with a smile. He began loading his plate with food- he felt as though he hadn't eaten in days -and tried to ignore James gorging himself next to him. He thought purebloods usually had better manners.

Suddenly, a horrible thought hit him, freezing him with his pumpkin juice suspended comically in the air. He'd have to share a dorm with the Marauders! Severus let out a groan- why hadn't he thought of that before? He buried his head in his hands. It seemed like a very large price to pay for spending the next seven years with Lily.

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><p><strong><em>Note:<em>** I don't actually know what years some of these students were born in, but I added a couple extras to make it seem more realistic. And I know Alice Longbottom's maiden name and age were never given, but Prewett seems popular, from other stories I've read. Maybe she's a distant cousin of Molly's? I thought having Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon as Lily's roommates might be a little confusing. Please excuse any slight inconsistencies from the books! I'm trying to keep the times and dates mostly canon, with a few major adjustments to the story. I never liked Peter anyway, so I got rid of him. I hope that doesn't bother anyone too much. ;)


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling.**

_**Author's note_:_**_ Thanks for the feedback on the last few chapters! I'm glad people are enjoying the story so far. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

After almost an hour of cheerful conversations and the sounds of silverware scraping plates, noise began to build in the Great Hall. Dumbledore took this as a cue to stand up and address everybody again.

"I'm sure you all have more catching-up to do," he said, smiling down at them again, "but it is time that we leave for our dormitories. First years, please follow the Prefects of your House and they will show you to your common rooms."

Severus sighed and stood up slowly- his doom seemed imminent. Lily turned to him with that bright smile again, those wonderful green eyes dancing with delight. "Oh, I bet the common room is amazing!" she told him excitedly. "Everything here is so incredible."

The boy smiled tightly; he wasn't looking forward to meeting his new roommates. However, he was quite curious to see what the Gryffindor Tower looked like on the inside. Even as Head of Slytherin, he had never been inside any of the other Houses' common rooms. "It's all the way at the top floor, I think," he replied to Lily. "We need to find a Prefect, though, so they can tell us how to get in."

She nodded in return and the two of them began making their way toward the small knot of other first year Gryffindors. Black and Potter were already there, Severus noticed, but Lupin was nowhere to be found. _Probably making arrangements for his transformations,_ he thought to himself. He had never cared much for the werewolf, but the other boy seemed like the only sane one out of the three remaining Marauders. _And Pettigrew got what was coming for him,_ he thought with a smirk. He felt no guilt whatsoever in putting the bloody traitor into his proper place.

The male Prefect, a rather stuck-up sixth year, Severus thought privately, led the little group up the main staircase to the seventh floor. He stopped in front of the portrait of an extremely large woman.

"This is the Fat Lady," the Prefect introduced her in an important tone. Severus hadn't bothered to remember his name. "She guards the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower, and, as such, you will be required to know the password to get inside. The current password is _Cor unum_. Please don't forget it, as other students prefer not to have to let you in late at night."

The boy looked down his nose at them in a comical imitation of Professor McGonagall's sternest look. "Now we will begin the tour, if you all just stay with me," he instructed them pompously.

Severus was seething inwardly by now. Good Godric, did all Gryffindors act like that? The Potions master knew he wouldn't survive a week with fools like that, let alone seven years. What had the hat been thinking? He could deal with evil Slytherins and Death Eaters, but this was simply absurd.

Lily didn't seem to notice her best friend's irritable mood, still dazzled by all the magic surrounding her. She followed the Prefect through the portrait into the common room and looked around wonderingly. "Wow…" she whispered, apparently to herself.

Severus was thinking the same thing, but for very different reasons. _There's so much… RED,_ he thought, horrified. He thought he might be having a sensory overload from all the scarlet hangings and paintings. The room was quite magnificent, he had to admit, but it was incredibly crowded with red and gold all over the walls. And it was so _bright…_ There was no comfort to be found here in looking for familiar green hangings and elegant decor.

_Well, here I am,_ he thought to himself bitterly. _Stuck in the lion's den with a bunch of morons._ Even the fact that Lily was with him couldn't lift his sour mood. He was determined not to show it, though. "It's very… cozy," he managed to tell her through gritted teeth. It was true: a couch and a few armchairs were crowded around the fireplace for the ever-social Gryffindor students to talk with their friends. All were in the same shade of maroon, Severus noticed irritably.

"Alright, now that you've all had a look at the common room, we're going to show you to your dormitories," the Prefect boy announced. "Lisa over there" -a friendly-looking sixth year girl waved at them- "will take the girls." Lily gave Severus a brief smile before joining Mary and Alice to see her new dorm. _And then there was one,_ Severus thought to himself gloomily.

A sudden voice over his shoulder startled the boy. "What'd I miss?" Lupin asked him anxiously, panting slightly. He seemed to have been running recently, probably from the Headmaster's office. "Dumbledore gave me the password, but he didn't say anything else."

"Nothing much," Severus growled irritably as the two of them followed Black and Potter up the stairs to the boys' dorm. "This pompous prat of a Prefect is just showing us around and explaining that we are not to disturb his beauty sleep when we forget the password."

Lupin looked startled at his reply, then let out a short laugh. The smile relaxed the harsh lines of his face, making him look much younger and less tired. Severus was surprised- he hadn't meant to be funny. His mouth twisted into something like a smile, but he didn't say anything else.

"This is the dorm you will be staying in for the next seven years," the Prefect told the boys, now looking quite bored. "As you will notice, all your belongings have been brought up here already for you. The lavatories are down the hall, at the far end, just please don't hog the showers. Keep in mind that many of the older boys play by 'seniority rules', and you four are at the bottom of the totem pole right now. Any questions? No? Good. Now run along and don't bother me unless you are in mortal peril. Good night."

And so the pompous prat of a Prefect left them all wondering just what had happened. Severus raised his eyebrows, but he didn't say anything about it. Lupin merely shrugged and headed inside the dorm room, Severus turning to follow him. Potter and Black appeared not to have been paying attention whatsoever during the entire lecture and were instead whispering to each other excitedly. In fact, they didn't seem to notice that Severus was standing there. Suddenly, they charged past him toward the common room, cackling madly and completely ignoring him.

Severus sighed and headed into the dormitory. _I probably don't even want to know,_ he thought to himself. He pitied the poor fool who would become the Marauders' newest target. Inside, he found that his trunk had been left near the door, giving him an option of which bed he wanted. Lupin had apparently claimed the one on the far left and already had his nose buried in a book.

Severus stared at him for a moment, trying to decide what he should do. He could take the bed in the middle and split up Black and Potter, but that might turn him into a target. He could take the bed on the other far side, but then he would end up having one of the two of them right next to him. Shrugging inwardly, he dropped his trunk at the foot of the bed next to Lupin's. The young werewolf looked up from his book briefly, but he didn't say anything. Severus was starting to think he might be able to tolerate Lupin. After all, they had worked in the Order together, and Severus didn't really have a good reason to hate him. The sandy-haired boy didn't seem very interested in the antics of Potter and Black. At least, not yet. Severus would have to keep an eye on him.

The boy sighed and then flopped on his bed, staring up at the scarlet curtains glumly. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was surrounded by a sea of redness. By comparison, the Slytherin common room and dorms were modestly decorated, green fabric and trinkets scattered around the room in a tasteful manner. Severus sighed again and closed his eyes briefly. This would be a lot to adjust to.

He sat up and pulled his trunk toward him, muttering the counterspell to the enchantment he had put on it to keep it locked. It sprang open and he eyed its contents with distaste. All of the clothes it contained were secondhand and worn out, looking almost as shabby as Lupin's robes. The books were old, as well. Severus remembered that he had taken his mother's old books to Hogwarts as a child, since his family couldn't afford new ones.

After a few _Reparos_ and a little nonverbal Transfiguration, the books were looking much less worn, and his clothes were almost as good as new. The only thing Severus hadn't bothered to change was his trunk, as that would probably catch Lupin's attention. He sneaked a glance at the other boy, but the young werewolf seemed absorbed in his book. Severus gave his trunk another once-over and put everything back, satisfied. He pulled out his pajamas and a plain gray t-shirt to wear at night, changing behind the curtains around his bed. He didn't like other people seeing his body, and he noticed there were several bruises around his shoulders. They were probably from when his father had fallen into one of his drunken rages.

When he was finished and had his robes carefully stored away in his trunk, Severus took out his mother's old copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_. She had given it to him rather reluctantly, he remembered, but he had begged her to let him borrow it. It was full of potions far too complicated for any ordinary first year to make, but Severus wasn't exactly an ordinary first year.

"Geminio," he muttered quietly, tapping the book with his wand. An exact duplicate of it appeared on the bed next to him, and the boy leafed through it quickly. Content that it contained the same information as the original, Severus put his mother's book back in his trunk and took out his quill and ink bottle. What use was a potions book if it didn't contain the most accurate information?

The boy smiled to himself as he sat back against his pillow to begin editing the recipes. He loved potions. They were an exciting challenge to him: he could experiment with them, he could improve them, he could try creating his own. The possibilities were endless. A sudden rustle from Lupin's bed startled him.

The sandy-haired boy looked at Severus sheepishly, a chocolate bar in his hands. It appeared that he had been trying to open it quietly, so as not to disturb the former Potions master.

"Sorry," he mumbled quickly. "I didn't mean to bother you. I just- I really like chocolate, I guess." There was that embarrassed smile again. Seeing that Severus was still staring at him, the boy grew flustered. "Would you like some?" he asked hurriedly, apparently worried that Severus was angry at him.

Realizing that Lupin was trying to make peace between them, Severus wasn't sure what to do. He had never cared for chocolate much, but to refuse it would be to refuse a potential ally. _And Merlin only knows how many of those I might find in Gryffindor Tower,_ he thought to himself sardonically.

"Sure, that would be great," he replied to Lupin, his half-hearted smile almost passing for a real one. Severus didn't want the other boy to think they were friends or anything, of course. He started to grow uncomfortable when the young werewolf's face broke out into a huge grin.

"Oh, no problem, here you go," the boy said happily, breaking the bar in half and tossing part to Severus. He seemed to be studying the dark-haired boy for a moment, then asked casually, "Whatcha reading? Anything good?"

He had a sort of hopefulness on his face that forced Severus to respond. "Oh, just my Potions book," the former Slytherin replied, showing Lupin the cover. When the other boy looked surprised at the title, Severus felt the need to explain. "My mum used to make potions for St. Mungo's. She has all sorts of books at home, so I've been reading them ever since I was little."

Lupin looked curious at this bit of information, probably wondering what Severus meant by 'used to'. However, the former Potions master wasn't about to tell anyone that his father had snapped his mother's wand and forced her to quit her job.

Just then, the two boys were interrupted by the dorm room door slamming open and hitting the wall. Severus whipped around frantically to see who it was, instinctively raising his wand.

"Good evening, roomies!" Sirius cried heartily. "I am the magnificent Sirius Black, and this is the most marvelous James Potter!" The boy took a moment to look around at the occupants of the room and his face fell. "Oh, it's you," he said sullenly, staring at Severus.

James pushed past him into the room, also glaring at the former Potions master upon recognizing him. However, he didn't say anything, which Severus found quite odd. _Finally shut his fat mouth, has he? _he thought scornfully.

"You, what's your name?" Sirius barked, now looking in Lupin's direction.

The poor boy started and looked incredibly confused at the tension between Severus and the two newcomers. "R-remus Lupin," he managed to get out. Sirius simply sneered at him and didn't reply.

"All right, Snivellus?" James asked loudly, still staring angrily at Severus. He hadn't moved from the doorway. "I know it's not quite the snake pit you were expecting, but-"

He was suddenly cut off as Severus lunged across the room and gripped him by the collar of his robes, shoving him against the wall with his wand at the other boy's throat.

"Don't you _DARE_ call me that again!" Severus commanded furiously, using the voice that had stuck terror in the souls of students for 15 years. This wouldn't happen a second time, not if he could prevent it. "You will refer to me as Severus, or as Mister Snape, if you happen to grow some manners overnight. I can do unimaginable things to you, magic you've only ever dreamed of. And don't even _think_ about trying anything behind my back, because I will most certainly find out and make you wish you'd never been born. Understand?" When the other boy didn't respond at first, Severus shook him roughly. "_Understand_?"

"Very well, _Mister Snape_," James snarled furiously. However, he didn't dare to move until Severus let go of him. The messy-haired boy stalked over to his trunk, snatched it up, and dropped it unceremoniously at the foot of the bed on the far side of the room. _As far away from me as possible,_ Severus thought to himself smugly. The Marauders wouldn't be getting the better of him this time.

When James pulled his curtains shut, Severus turned toward the other two. Lupin was staring at him with an odd mix of horror and delight, while Black simply looked murderous.

"You have anything to say?" Severus asked the other black-haired boy curtly.

"Of course not, _Mister Snape,_" the boy sneered slightly and turned to get into his own bed.

Severus sighed and looked toward Lupin's bed, but the young werewolf had followed Potter's example and closed his curtains already. _Oh joy, I get to live with this for the next seven years, _the former Potions master thought irritably. _A cowardly werewolf and two boys who probably want to kill me right now._

Severus climbed into his own bed and drew the curtains shut. He set his potions book and quill gently on the floor next to his bed, but he kept his wand inside his pillowcase. He didn't want to risk Potter or Black doing anything potentially dangerous. _Tomorrow's going to be a long day,_ he thought to himself, rubbing his forehead. He was exhausted already and it was only day one of being a Gryffindor.

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><p><strong><em>Note:<em>** How else would a man deal with the boy who stole the love of his life and the other boy who sent him to be killed by a full-grown werewolf? ;) Also, the password, Cor unum, is a Latin phrase meaning 'one heart'. I think it fits the Gryffindors pretty well, since they generally have good team spirit (with a few exceptions).


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K.R., I'm just borrowing it.**

_**Author's note: **_I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews and favorites this story has received so far! I'm glad you're enjoying it. :) Just an apology in advance- this chapter is a little dull, but I needed it to start defining the relationships between characters. Please bear with me, I promise things will get more interesting soon.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

Severus woke early the next morning, out of force of habit. If a Death Eater didn't get up early enough, there was always a possibility of something violent and potentially fatal happening to them. The boy stretched slightly and pushed his hair out of his eyes. It was getting long now, and he figured he would have to cut it soon.

The former Potions master pulled back the hangings around his bed silently, pleased to note that none of the other boys were awake. The sun was just starting to rise, and Severus knew that it might be another few hours before they made it to breakfast. He gathered his shower things as quickly as possible and exited the dorm, closing the door quietly behind him.

He crept along the narrow corridor in the direction the pompous Prefect had indicated, noting the doors for other dorm rooms along the way. There were seven total, including the one the first years were staying in, and each of them contained somewhere between three and five boys. The last door at the end of the hall led to a large bathroom, much like the one found in the Slytherin dorms.

Severus poked his head in before entering, but it was completely empty. He snorted, not really surprised. _Early to bed, early to rise, they say…_ he quoted to himself with a smirk. _That explains a lot._ He took care to leave his wand sitting next to where he'd hung his towel, just in case any of the Gryffindor boys tried anything stupid.

. . . . . .

A short while later, Severus emerged from the bathroom, fresh-scrubbed and ready to start his day. No one had bothered him yet, and he was hopeful to keep it that way. Tiptoeing back into his dormitory, he saw that Lupin was up and pulling his socks on, already dressed in his shabby robes and brand-new Gryffindor tie. Severus had put his own on rather reluctantly, as if simply touching the piece of cloth would contaminate him.

The sandy-haired boy glanced up upon seeing the door open, but his alarmed look faded to an awkward sort of smile when he recognized Severus. "I'm going to head down to breakfast, I think," he whispered as the dark-haired boy moved to put his things back in his trunk. "Do you want to come with me?"

Severus didn't really feel like going anywhere with Lupin, but he had enough manners not to refuse outright. "I think I'm going to wait for Lily," he replied quietly, turning away from the other boy's disappointment.

Good Godric, did he really think they were friends? They were acquaintances, but nothing more than that. Maybe allies against Potter and Black. Wasn't Lupin supposed to be part of their group, though? And why did he suddenly want to hang out with Severus, anyway? That would just make him even more of an outcast. Did all the Gryffindors wait to go to breakfast with each other? In Slytherin, everybody just kind of went at the own pace. Well, except for the boys with posses, like Lucius Malfoy.

The former Potions master thought his head was going to explode from trying to analyze Lupin's motives. Severus really wasn't a people-person.

"Oh, it's okay," Lupin replied with a halfhearted smile. "I suppose I'll just wait for these two to get up." He glanced at Sirius' and James' beds a little uncomfortably. "I've been meaning to get a head start in our Defense books, anyway," he added.

Severus nodded briefly, not really caring what Lupin was going to do. He'd take his somewhat new copy of _Advanced Potion-Making _to the common room to wait for Lily to come downstairs. He hadn't had much time the previous night to start fixing and improving recipes.

The boy picked up his book bag, which was already packed with his textbooks, and exited the dormitory again. Upon reaching the common room, he felt the same sensation of being overwhelmed by the redness. Only a few other students were awake, mostly girls and all older than Severus, and the group of them were just getting ready to leave for breakfast.

They glanced at Severus as he entered the common room, but they didn't pay much attention to him. He ignored them for the most part and took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace. It appeared that the fire was left burning constantly, despite it being relatively warm outside.

Severus was able to get through four potion recipes and start on a fifth before Lily walked downstairs. Her clothes were straight and free of wrinkles and her hair had been brushed carefully, though her beautiful green eyes looked a bit sleepy still, Severus noted. He greeted her with a hesitant smile, putting his book away and standing up. However, he wasn't able to suppress a grin when she gave him a quick hug.

_I could get used to this,_ he thought to himself happily. He had seven years ahead of him of waking up in the morning knowing that Lily was just around the corner- literally.

"So, how are you?" he asked her as the two of them made their way through the portrait hole and down the stairs.

"I'm absolutely wonderful right now," Lily replied with a bright smile. "I'm at Hogwarts, getting ready to learn about magic, and you're here with me. My roommates are really nice, too. Mary and Alice. What about yours? That Remus boy seemed nice, but the other two were pulling stupid pranks on the girls last night!"

Severus refrained from rolling his eyes, even though he desperately wanted to. Of course Potter and Black were already getting into trouble. They'd end up in detention within the first week, no doubt.

"They're a bit annoying, but I think I sorted them out," the boy replied loftily as they entered the Great Hall.

Lily giggled, then tugged on Severus' sleeve as he unconsciously turned to walk toward the Slytherin table. "Hey, where are you going?" she asked teasingly. "You're a Gryffindor, remember? At least, I hope so. Otherwise you'd look silly wearing all that red and gold!"

Severus fought back a grimace, knowing he probably looked odd in Gryffindor colors. He had purposely avoided the mirrors in the bathroom for that reason. Lily's word choice had also forced him to remember that she was still only eleven years old.

"Are you ready for classes and stuff?" he asked her, changing the subject as the two of them sat at the end of their new table, across from each other.

Those wonderful eyes light up with excitement. "Of course!" Lily replied eagerly. "I've already read through our course books. I think I'll like Charms best; Mr. Ollivander said my wand will be good for that."

Severus couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. She reminded him very much of Hermione Granger at that age, just less stuck-up and bossy. "Potions is my favorite," he told her, picking up an apple. "Mother let me read all of her books when I was young, so I already know quite a bit."

Lily nodded, though her eyes looked a bit dreamy. No doubt she was thinking about all the magic they would learn in the coming years. Suddenly, she snapped out of it.

"Hey, you can't only eat that for breakfast," she scolded Severus, gesturing to his apple with her fork. "I know you don't like breakfast food, but you need to eat more. I'm sure you don't get enough at home." Her eyes were filled with worry and some sort of protectiveness.

Severus sighed and gave in, picking up a couple pieces of toast. "There, happy?" he grumbled, though the fact that she was showing concern for him left a warm glow in his chest.

Lily simply nodded, giving the boy a cheeky smile, and continued eating her own breakfast. However, the comfortable silence between them was quickly interrupted.

"Hello there, _Mister Snape,_" a familiar voice sounded right next to Severus' ear, and Potter dropped into the seat next to him.

"Yeah, what's up, Mister Snape?" Black sneered, sitting down on Severus' other side.

Severus was effectively trapped between his two biggest enemies, both of them wearing identical nasty smiles. He shot a dirty look at Lupin, who had quietly taken a seat next to Lily, but the sandy-haired boy merely gave him a helpless gesture.

Severus sighed. "Can you guys just leave me alone?" he asked irritably, speaking to the two black-haired boys on either side of him.

"No can do, Mister Snape," Sirius replied cheerily, as if the whole thing was a game to him.

_Of course, he probably thinks it is, _Severus thought to himself sourly. James simply looked sullen, filling his plate silently.

"We" -Sirius gestured to himself and James- "are here to convince you" -he pointed at Severus- "that you are no better than either of us: you're a slimy little git and you don't deserve to be in Gryffindor."

Severus squinted at his fellow first year skeptically. He had to be joking, right? The former Potions master glanced across the table for help, but Lily just looked confused and Lupin was wearing his trademark I'm-staying-out-of-it face.

"What are you talking about?" he asked Black, trying to make sense of what was going on. "I _am_ better than you. I thought we covered this last night."

"Actually, _you_ covered this last night," Potter replied angrily. "We never had our say, so we're going to take care of that."

Apparently he was still upset about Severus shoving him against the wall and explaining why he was inferior to the former Slytherin. Severus shrugged inwardly; he didn't really care what Potter thought.

"Jamesie here is quite unhappy about the way things turned out yesterday," Black informed Severus and a bemused Lily. "I'm just in it because A, I don't like you, and B, I think it would be funny to see you get shown up a couple times and finally admit we're better than you. And who eats dry toast, anyway? That's just weird."

The two Marauders stood up and moved farther down the table, Sirius with a mocking bow and James with a final, "You've been warned, Snape."

Lily's eyes lingered on the two boys for a few seconds, then she turned to face Severus, one eyebrow raised. "Well, that was… interesting," she stated plainly. "Would you care to explain?"

Severus sighed. He figured he would have to confront Potter and Black sometime, but this hadn't gone as he had hoped. "They were calling me names last night, so I basically told them to bugger off," he replied. "It looks like they're not done bothering me, though."

"You should have heard the things they were planning this morning," Lupin told Severus anxiously. "I think they're going to go to the library to look up hexes and stuff later."

The former Potions master smirked slightly. He knew that two untrained 11-year old boys were no match for him. "I'll be able to handle them," he told Lily and Remus. "Just… I don't want you guys getting involved. Please? They already hate me, they don't need to turn on you two, also."

Lily looked rather offended at this, but she appeared to understand the consequences of getting involved. "See, I told you they would be trouble-makers!" she said to Severus, hitting his arm.

Lupin let out a snort. "You should have seen them last night," he told Lily. "I thought James was going to explode when Severus started threatening him…" He trailed off a bit at the look Severus had given him, seeming to realize he was getting the other boy into trouble.

Lily let out an exasperated sound. "Sev, you can't just pull your wand out and start threatening to curse people!" she rebuked the boy. He tried to protest, but she cut him off. "What if they had gone to McGonagall or somebody? You could have gotten into serious trouble!"

"They didn't, though, so everything's good, right?" Severus said, trying to calm the girl down. He didn't want her to be upset with him. "Trust me, Lil, I can handle them." When she still looked skeptical, he sighed and added, "We won't even be around them that much. Only classes, but we can avoid them pretty easily."

"Erm…" Lupin broke in, causing the other two to glance at him in surprise. "Well, er, can I stick with you guys, then?" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, as if trying to figure out what to say. "I mean, the other two don't really care what I do, but I don't want to get involved."

_Typical Lupin, always trying to avoid conflict,_ Severus thought irritably. Still, it might be useful to have someone else around. _And he won't go running off to help Potter and Black, either._

"Sure, I suppose," he replied slowly. "Just as long as you don't get too annoying or anything."

"Sev!" Lily chastised him gently. "Yes, that would be wonderful. After all, we're supposed to be making new friends here, right?"

Lupin nodded gratefully and turned his light brown gaze on Severus. "Friends?" he asked, holding out a hand.

The former Potions master looked at the offered hand and sighed. "Let's call it a mutually beneficial alliance," he replied. He wasn't quite ready to be 'friends' with one of the Marauders quite yet. "You share your chocolate, I'll help you with whatever work you need help with. And don't get all buddy-buddy on me."

Lupin grinned. "Deal," he said, and the two of them shook hands.

Lily smiled slightly, glancing between Severus and Remus. _She's probably glad I'm finding people I don't hate, _Severus thought to himself wryly.

"We should probably get going to class now," Lily informed the two boys, and all three of them stood up to go to the first class on their schedule, Transfiguration.

As they walked out of the Great Hall, leaving James and Sirius behind, Severus couldn't help but marvel at how different his life was becoming. _One Marauder gone, one wants to be my friend, and only two of them hate me,_ he counted. _I'm doing pretty well so far, and it's just my second day._


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I'd be a billionaire.**

_**Author's note:**_ This chapter is a little longer than usual, so it makes up for the previous one. ;) Thanks for all the reviews and favorites! Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

As the three young Gryffindors arrived at their Transfiguration class, Severus took a mental note of the students already inside. It appeared that they had been partnered with the Slytherins for their first class.

The four green-and-silver-clad girls were already in their seats, as were Alice and Mary. Wilkes and another Slytherin boy Severus couldn't remember the name of already had their heads together and were whispering, their smiles uncomfortably reminiscent of Potter's and Black's that morning.

Mulciber and Avery entered the classroom right behind the three Gryffindors, Peter trailing them looking frightened and confused. The boys dropped into the seats directly behind their friends, with Peter off to one side.

Severus slid into a seat in the front row, as far away from his former roommates as possible. He didn't want anything to do with them. Lily sat next to him, casting a concerned glance at the chubby boy in Slytherin colors. Lupin followed her line of sight and sighed, turning to sit next to the other boy.

Severus heard the Gryffindor briefly introduce himself, but Pettigrew didn't look any less nervous. _It looks like Slytherin life hasn't treated the bloody traitor too well,_ he thought to himself spitefully. Pettigrew deserved everything that was coming for him.

He and Lily sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments until Sirius and James came bursting into the room. There was a teeth-grinding scrape as two chairs were dragged backward, and Severus could practically feel the other boys' gazes burning holes into the back of his head.

"Do you think they'll ever leave me alone?" he muttered to Lily, feeling oddly self-conscious. What if Black and Potter saw or heard him do something that made them realize he wasn't a normal 11-year old boy? Severus didn't know if he could get in trouble for that, but he certainly didn't want just anyone finding out.

Lily sighed slightly, sneaking a glance behind her. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "Maybe. Just don't provoke them and they might get bored after a while." Her beautiful green eyes were piercing. She already knew how stubborn Severus could get.

The boy inclined his head to acknowledge her words, but he didn't say anything else. Just them, Professor McGonagall entered the classroom.

"Good morning, class," she greeted them all briskly. "Today is the first day of lessons, and I expect you all to be prepared to pay attention." Her sharp gaze swept the classroom, no doubt looking for potential troublemakers.

Severus smirked slightly. This was the Minerva he knew. It had been a while since he sat in one of her lessons, but she was still the formidable woman who had chased him out of Hogwarts on the eve of the final battle.

"You will quickly discover that Transfiguration is among the more difficult ranges of magic," Professor McGonagall continued. "Some may find themselves naturally more capable of performing these sorts of spells, while others may have to work harder to achieve results. However, with hard work and determination, almost anyone can unlock the great power that can be found in the most advanced Transfiguration. Now, if you will all take out your quills…"

She proceeded to thoroughly explain the mechanics of the first spell they would be trying, a simple change of a thimble to an ordinary marble. Severus had to refrain from rolling his eyes. He could probably do the spell in his sleep, without a wand.

_This entire year of classes is going to be a joke!_ he thought irritably to himself as the box of thimbles floated around the room and deposited one on everybody's desk. _The next six years or so, too. Nothing will be even remotely interesting until N.E.._

Severus stared down at his thimble gloomily after watching Lily attempt the spell a few times without any results. He could probably change it nonverbally, but what was the point in that? He would only draw attention to himself that way.

The boy sighed and tapped the thimble with his wand, speaking the incantation firmly. The thimble was immediately replaced by a bright green glass marble, exactly the same color as Lily's eyes. Severus gave an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes this time. Was he really that predictable?

"Very well done, Severus, is it?" Professor McGonagall praised him, looking quite pleased at his final product. "Ten points to Gryffindor. I don't think I've ever seen a student master a spell so quickly."

_She's probably just happy that one of her idiot Gryffindors managed to do something first instead of a Slytherin_, Severus thought to himself irritably. However, he felt quite smug at the jealous glares that Black and Potter were shooting at him. Even Lupin looked a bit dismayed at Severus' success.

"You know, perhaps you'd like to try something a bit more difficult?" McGonagall asked Severus hopefully. "I had some matchboxes over here I was saving for a later lesson, but we still have quite a bit of class time, and I don't want you getting bored…"

Severus, much to his classmates' growing annoyance, spent the rest of the class changing matchboxes into various biscuit tins, earning another 20 points for achieving different colors and patterns each time.

He left the class in a good mood- Professor McGonagall had been delighted to have a "Transfiguration prodigy" as a student, much to his amusement. And while the rest of the class was assigned to write essays on the basics of Transfiguration, he had gotten away with no homework.

"Ugh, I can't believe you could do all that stuff!" Lily burst out once they were on their way to History of Magic. "I couldn't even get that wretched thimble to change." She pouted slightly, and Severus suddenly felt guilty for showing off a bit.

"No, you'll get it eventually," he replied soothingly. "You just have to be forceful with it. Things don't particularly like changing their shape, so you have to be firm. You're in charge of telling the thimble what to do, not the other way around."

His hopeful expression was met with a rather reluctant smile from Lily, but she still didn't look reassured.

"I know, but you did all sorts of magic we haven't learned yet," she responded, obviously still troubled by that fact. "Is it because I'm Muggleborn?" She suddenly looked very worried.

"No, of course not," Severus replied immediately. "Potter and Black didn't manage it, either, and they're both pure-bloods. It took Lupin to the end of class to finally get his to change, and he's a half-blood. You know, some people think we're actually stronger than the pure-bloods. Something about interbreeding. They believe that the Muggle blood helps our magic or something."

Lily looked curious about this, but she didn't have time to say anything before they reached their next class. Professor Binns was already in the classroom, along with the Ravenclaw first years. Severus, Lily, and the other five Gryffindors took their seats quietly, but the ghost didn't really take notice of them.

Professor Binns went through roll call slowly, mispronouncing almost everyone's name, and then began his lesson in his usual monotonous tone. Severus could feel his eyes drooping, but he forced himself to pay attention to the Goblin Wars of 1328.

_Does he ever talk about anything other than goblins? _Severus wondered to himself dully. Lily at least seemed vaguely interested in the topic. _There could probably be an explosion that left all of us dead and Binns would never notice. Bugger that, Voldemort himself could come bursting into the classroom whilst riding the basilisk and and singing in Mermish, and this ruddy ghost wouldn't even look up from his notes. How did he manage to keep his teaching materials with him, anyway?_

Severus spent the rest of the lesson pondering how ghosts managed to keep things with them when they died, and he resolved to ask Nearly Headless Nick at a later time. When the bell rang to dismiss them, both James and Sirius were startled awake, and all the Ravenclaw students left quickly to go to lunch.

"Well, that was an… interesting lesson," Lily said to Severus conversationally as they packed up. He simply raised his eyebrow and didn't reply. "Oh, it wasn't that bad! Everything is new to me, remember? Here, hold these for a minute."

She dropped several textbooks into Severus' arms as the two of them made their way down a staircase. He tilted his head slightly to read some of the titles.

"Er, Lily?" he began, quite confused. "Why do you have your Defense book with you? And Herbology? We don't have those classes until tomorrow."

He was surprised when she went slightly pink.

"Oh, I know, but I wanted to get ahead of the lessons a little," she replied, looking a bit embarrassed. "I want to show the teachers that I can be good at magic even thought I was raised by Muggles." Her face had a determined look to it, and Severus didn't comment.

"I can take those back now," she informed him as they entered the Great Hall.

The two of them took their seats at the Gryffindor table for lunch, joined by Lupin a moment later.

"You guys left without me," the boy complained, his disapproving expression quite reminiscent of Percy Weasley. "And that Peter boy in Transfiguration was just _odd._ He wouldn't so much as look at me the entire lesson. He seemed absolutely terrified of his roommates, too."

Severus merely made a disparaging noise as he took a bite of his sandwich, but Lily looked a little uncomfortable.

"Well, maybe we can rotate seats?" she suggested. Severus gave her a pained look, but she ignored it. "I'll sit by him Wednesday, and Sev can take care of him Friday. That way, there won't be any fuss about it. Right, Severus?"

She had that determined look on her face again, and Severus sighed. _Of course, Lily, always trying to make people get along_, he thought to himself. _No wonder Dumbledore made her Head Girl_.

"Yes, alright," he replied shortly. "But I'm not going to be friends with him. There's something about him I don't trust." _…like the fact he betrayed you to Voldemort,_ he added silently.

Lily shrugged, probably knowing this was the best she would get from him. Lupin didn't seem too concerned about it, and he turned his attention back to his lunch.

"Which class do we have next?" Severus asked Lily. Knowing her, she probably already had the schedule memorized.

"Potions," she replied promptly, and he smiled inwardly._ She really does love this whole magic thing, doesn't she?_ "It's a double hour, and we have it with the Hufflepuffs."

Severus shrugged slightly. He had never paid much attention to what any of the students in other Houses did. The only problem he might have would be making _too_ perfect of a potion. What would old Sluggy think if he found a 'Potions prodigy' in his class?

_Good Godric, he'd be even worse than McGonagall!_ Severus thought irritably. He'd have to play down his abilities a bit.

. . . . . .

About a half an hour later, Severus was seated next to Lily in the very familiar classroom in the dungeons. Lupin had taken a spot next to a Hufflepuff boy without complaint, but Severus hadn't missed the resignation crossing the sandy-haired boy's face.

"James Potter?" The name drifted through the air to the former Potions master, and Severus' attention focused on Slughorn, who appeared to be taking attendance.

"Ah, yes, there you are," the professor said, looking at Potter curiously. He seemed intrigued by the friendship between Potter and Black. "Yes, two boys from strong Wizarding families, though very different. Interesting, interesting…" The thickset man was muttering to himself.

He went though a few more names and Severus raised his hand briefly when his was called.

"Snape, is it? I don't recognize that," Slughorn remarked, peering at Severus. The boy suddenly felt an intense dislike toward the older man.

_Too tied up with his celebrities and life of luxury to join any particularly useful cause,_ Severus remembered sourly. Slughorn had never wanted to help the Order.

"Yes, my father is a Muggle," the boy replied with distaste. "My mother, though, is Eileen Prince- she was in your House in school."

Slughorn frowned for a moment, obviously thinking hard. "Hmm, yes, I do remember her. She was a captain on the Gobstones team, correct?" he replied, obviously not looking for an answer. "She was never part of the Slug Club, though, but she had a particular affinity for Potions. Let's see if you inherited any of her skill, shall we?"

He let out a laugh and continued with the attendance, making comments on everyone's name and family. By the end of it all, Severus had become quite irritated by the man.

"I suppose I should get to the lesson then, shouldn't I?" Slughorn asked them cheerfully. He had already taken up quite a bit of time by going through all the students, but they were on a double class period.

He briefly explained what the purpose of potion-making was and the kinds of things people could do with potions. Severus didn't pay attention to most of it, as he himself had given the same kind of speech to four classes a year for fifteen years. It grew dull after a while.

The class was set to the task of brewing a simple Boil-Cure potion, one that Severus could probably make with his eyes closed. He finished the first part of it well ahead of the other students, letting it simmer for the required time.

Lily glanced over at his cauldron every so often, obviously comparing his results with her own. He hadn't bothered to use his own adjusted recipe, as the potion was so simple. Toward the end of class, Slughorn wandered through the students, peering into their cauldrons.

"Ah, very good!" he said happily as he reached Severus. "It appears you take after your mother in her Potion-making. Yes, this is quite excellent. That will be full marks for you, Mr. Snape."

He smiled at Severus in what the boy guessed was supposed to be a kindly manner. He still didn't like Slughorn, though. The class packed up quickly and left just as the bell rang, leaving for dinner.

"That was fun," Lily told Severus as the two of them left, but she didn't sound particularly enthusiastic. "It was a very long class, though. I can't believe it's time for dinner already."

Severus nodded, and Lupin caught up to them as they climbed the stairs out of the dungeons.

"Professor Slughorn is a bit odd, wouldn't you say?" the sandy-haired boy asked conversationally, falling in step next to Severus. "He kept going on about families and famous people. Didn't take any interest in me, of course. My parents are half-bloods and weren't not from some rich Wizarding family."

He grinned sheepishly, probably remembering that neither Severus nor Lily had been among the few whose names had caught Slughorn's fancy. Severus rolled his eyes.

"He's always been like that, apparently," the former Slytherin informed the other two. "He took an interest in my mother at first because she was from the Prince family, but she didn't care to join his Slug Club."

At the confused looks he received from Lily and Remus, Severus elaborated: "Slughorn has his own little club that does dinner parties and things like that. It's made up of the relatives of famous wizards and witches, or, in the case of some, students he feels will 'go far' in the real world."

Lily frowned slightly. "So he gives special treatment to rich and potentially powerful people?" she asked skeptically. "That's horrible. I'm surprised Professor Dumbledore allows that."

Lupin merely shrugged, as if he already knew just how greedy some people could be.

The three of them entered the Great Hall and sat down without further discussion of the subject. They chatted idly through dinner, though it was mostly Lily and Remus talking about various classes and some Muggle books that Severus had never bothered to read.

The former Potions master, however, was more concerned with getting information to Dumbledore. The boy stared up at the staff table through most of dinner, pondering different ways of telling the old man about Voldemort and the Horcruxes without giving himself away. After all, there was no point in Severus dying and coming back to life if he couldn't prevent more lives from being taken.

A sudden screech and shouting startled him from his thoughts. The entire Hall went silent, everyone fixated on the commotion going on down at the end of the Gryffindor table.

" -SLEEPING IN A DORMITORY WITH FILTHY BLOOD TRAITORS AND SHARING A COMMON ROOM WITH MUDBLOODS! YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!- "

Severus let out a slight sigh of relief that no one was being injured, then smirked to himself. _Apparently Black's mummy isn't too happy about his Sorting_, he thought gleefully. He couldn't remember if Black had received a Howler the last time, but the other boy looked a bit uncomfortable now. The red letter had started smoking slightly.

" -COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO FOLLOW YOUR COUSINS AS A NOBLE SLYTHERIN, NOOO, YOU JUST _HAD_ TO MAKE A STATEMENT! YOUR ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE, YOUNG MAN! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE BOTH HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. DON'T EVEN BOTHER ASKING TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. WE WISH YOU WERE MORE LIKE YOUR BROTHER."

With that parting message, the Howler exploded, showering both Sirius and James with bits of burning paper. Sirius looked extremely upset, and Severus was once again forced to remember that they were all just eleven years old.

_Wonderful family he's got there,_ the former Potions master thought with a sigh. He pushed the food around on his plate for a few more minutes, then glanced up at the staff table again. Dumbledore appeared to be excusing himself, and the tall man starting walking away in the direction of his office.

Severus' eyes narrowed as he thought hard. Maybe it would be best to speak to the Headmaster directly…

The boy stood up, making an abrupt decision. Lily and Lupin both turned toward him, their expressions of surprise almost identical.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked Severus, confused.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore about something," the boy replied honestly, checking that all his books were in his bag. "Don't worry about it, I'll meet you in the common room later. Just keep an eye on those two, will you?"

He gestured at Potter and Black, and Lily nodded slowly. She still looked a little confused and worried, but Severus didn't know what else to say.

As he walked away, the boy cast another glance over his shoulder, slightly relieved that Lily had turned back to talk with Lupin. That feeling was quickly replaced with a tinge of jealousy. Severus had never paid much attention to the young werewolf, but the boy might eventually pursue more of a relationship with Lily. Severus would have to keep an eye on that.

However, he was too preoccupied to brood about that at the moment. The former Potions master quickly started on the route to Dumbledore's office. After about 16 years of spying, Severus knew that he had plenty of information about Voldemort to possibly prevent both wars and save many lives in the process.


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just borrowing. Some later dialogue (marked with italics) is taken directly from Deathly Hallows.**

_**Author's note: **_Sorry this update is a little late, I've been gone all day. Unfortunately, I'm a bit behind in writing, but I'll try to keep updating regularly. Thanks for all the reviews and favorites so far! A couple questions were brought to my attention earlier, and I feel like I should probably explain some things:

Firstly, Peter was put in Slytherin because Sev's Confundus charm caused the hat to put him in a random house. The probability of him landing in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw was just as equal, but _I_ decided on Slytherin because of how he turned out as an adult. I don't like Peter, sorry. :/ Secondly, Remus' clothes are shabby because his parents are poor. They probably find it difficult to find decent jobs because of his lycanthropy and the fact that Greyback doesn't like his father. I also think that they probably spend much of their money on funding research to help werewolves, which will likely be seen in later chapters. :) If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask.

With those answered, I would like to direct your attention to this lovely new chapter. As you read, please keep in mind that even though the Sorting Hat put Severus in Gryffindor this time around, he was a Slytherin for many years before that. I think he shows several traits that define each of the four Houses, and this chapter contains a little of his green and silver showing through. ;) Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

After a few minutes of brisk walking, Severus reached the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He stood and stared at it for a moment, suddenly realizing he didn't know the password.

"Lemon drop?" he guessed. The Headmaster had almost always used sweets as passwords. "Er, fizzing whizzbee? No? Hmm… Chocolate frog?"

The gargoyle leapt aside and Severus smirked. Dumbledore had once said that he didn't care how the Ministry discredited him, as long as they left him on the chocolate frog cards.

The boy started walking up the moving spiral staircase, trying to decide how to phrase what he needed to tell Dumbledore. When the stairs had deposited him in front of the door to the office, he hesitated slightly before knocking. The sound seemed oddly loud in the emptiness.

The door opened a brief moment later, and a politely confused-looking Dumbledore peered down at Severus.

"May I help you?" the old man asked gently. The former Potions master refrained from rolling his eyes. _Always polite, Albus is,_ he thought to himself irritably. _Even when there were Death Eaters surrounding him to watch him die, he kept his manners._

"No, but _I _can help you," he replied shortly. "My name is Severus Snape, and I have information regarding the Dark Lord that you may be interested in. Can I come in?"

The older wizard frowned slightly, then nodded, opening the door wider to let Severus inside. The office looked just as Severus had remembered it, though it was full of Dumbledore's possessions. It had been mostly empty while Severus had been Headmaster.

"Please take a seat," Dumbledore instructed the boy politely, gesturing to a chair on the side of the desk opposite his own. "Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"No, thank you," Severus replied curtly. He wasn't here to eat candy, and they were wasting time.

The Headmaster sat down across from the boy, surveying him over the top of his spectacles. There were those piercing blue eyes again, the ones that had made Severus feel guilty about receiving the kindness that filled them.

"Perhaps you should start by explaining just how you came across this… ah, _information_," Dumbledore told Severus. There wasn't much kindness in his eyes now, just concern and something like suspicion.

"Albus, I'm dead," the boy replied bluntly. He wanted to make an impact on the old man. "I'm a 37-year old wizard reborn into his past as a first year Hogwarts student."

The older wizard only raised an eyebrow skeptically, not saying anything. Severus felt a surge of fury at how calm the man was being. Was he going to take this seriously?

"I was a Death Eater for three years," he continued angrily. "I know more about the Dark Arts than you've ever dreamed of. I've witnessed more people die than most Aurors ever have. I've even killed some myself. And I spent fifteen years spying and gathering information for you and your Order of the Phoenix."

It wasn't until he mentioned the name of the Order that Dumbledore showed any reaction to his ranting. The blue eyes flashed, but Severus couldn't read the expression within them.

"This is all… very interesting," the old man said heavily, rubbing his forehead. "You are telling the truth, I am sure, but it all seems so impossible." He paused for a minute, then added sharply, "You probably already know, but I can tell when someone is lying to me. I am an accomplished-"

"Legilimens, yes," Severus finished his sentence dryly. "As is the Dark Lord. And _I_ am an accomplished Occlumens. I had to be, in order to avoid detection for so long. You even taught me yourself. However, this means you will not be able to get into my head unless I specifically let you."

Dumbledore sat back to digest this information, though his suspicious look had returned. Severus sighed.

"Look, you can either choose to believe me or not," he continued. "I know it sounds ridiculous coming from the mouth of an 11-year old boy, but I know things about the Dark Lord that will help you fight and eventually defeat him. You can choose to hear me out, or you can choose to have me leave now and we can forget this ever happened."

The Headmaster sighed, grudgingly accepting defeat.

"Very well," the old man replied. "But tell me first how this happened to you. It's not every day that a fully-trained and potentially dangerous wizard comes wandering into my office, apparently disguised as his former self."

Those blue eyes pierced the black ones again, and Severus felt another surge of frustration.

"This isn't a spell or a potion gone wrong!" he replied irritably. "I died, I already told you that! The Dark Lord killed me in order to gain possession of the Elder Wand. I'm well aware you know a little something about that, Albus."

Severus' gave the older man a sharp look, and the Headmaster's eyes flashed dangerously. _It looks like the greatest wizard in 100 years has a weak spot,_ the boy thought to himself with satisfaction.

"Yes, I know all about your little adventures with Grindlewald," Severus continued with a nasty smirk. "Rita Skeeter wrote a wonderful book about you after you died. Of course, you don't know her yet. She'll be a student in the next few years. She was a writer for the Daily Prophet and she had a particular gift for finding all the dirty details of a story. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the Dark Lord killed me, and I met you in some sort of afterlife. You told me that sometimes people are granted a second chance at life to fix their mistakes. And then I woke up here, in my 11-year old body. Interesting, isn't it?"

Dumbledore's horrified look gradually faded to something like curiosity as Severus kept talking.

"I was dead, you say?" he repeated, intrigued. "If you don't mind me asking, how did that happen?"

"I killed you," Severus replied bluntly. Dumbledore simply raised an eyebrow. "On your orders, no less. You were already dying from a curse that the Dark Lord had put on a ring. It was another one of the Hallows, I believe, the Resurrection Stone?" The boy smirked again. Provoking the old man like this was his small revenge for being taken advantage of.

The Headmaster twitched slightly and took in a deep breath, as if to calm himself.

"Ah, of course," he replied simply, as if the answer had been obvious. "Well, if that's all there is about you being here, I'd like to hear the information you have."

"Very well, then," Severus responded, a sort of smugness in his voice. "You know about Horcruxes, I assume? The Dark Lord knows, too. He's made five of them already, and he plans on making a sixth. Seven pieces of soul total. Seven is a magical number, after all."

He paused slightly to ensure that Dumbledore was paying attention, but it really wasn't necessary. The old man was watching him guardedly, Severus' words no doubt confirming his prior suspicions.

"His first Horcrux is a diary, though I haven't the faintest idea where that is," the boy continued, counting off on his fingers. "His grandfather's ring, the one containing the Resurrection Stone, is the second. You had just returned from the Gaunt family home with it when you were cursed. Destroying it won't lift the enchantment, apparently. The other three, based on the information you gave me, belonged to three of the founders of Hogwarts. He didn't bother with anything of Gryffindor's though. The snake was the sixth, but he didn't make it into a Horcrux until 1994. You destroyed the ring with the Sword of Gryffindor, I know that for sure."

Severus stopped after imparting this last bit of information. Did Dumbledore need to know about the prophecy? If all the Horcruxes were destroyed and Voldemort killed, the prophecy might never be made.

"There was a prophecy, though, and that complicated things," he continued, deciding it was best for someone to know. "Sybill Trelawny, who will be a student in the next few years, was applying for the position of Divination teacher here at Hogwarts. In 1980, she made a prophecy concerning the Dark Lord and a boy born at the end of July to parents who had defied the Dark Lord three times. This boy would have the power to defeat him after the Dark Lord marked him as his equal. Naturally, after hearing about this, the Dark Lord set out to kill the child. There were two boys in question, but he chose to murder Harry Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Evans."

Severus' voice was bitter as he explained about the child.

"When Lily gave her life to save her son," the former Potions master continued, "a sort of charm was cast over the boy. It was a form of ancient magic, and that caused the Dark Lord's killing curse to rebound. The boy was left with a scar and part of the Dark Lord's soul within him, left behind unintentionally and unknown. The Dark Lord was thought to be dead. However, the Horcruxes he had created earlier prevented that, and he was trapped in spirit form for many years."

Dumbledore watched him calmly over the tops of his spectacles, then sighed as Severus stopped speaking.

"I am very grateful that you have brought me this information, Severus," the Headmaster said to the boy. "I believe it will be most useful in the future. As it is, I am more interested in you. You have retained all your memories and abilities, correct?"

The boy nodded, a little suspicious as to where Dumbledore was headed with this.

"If you don't mind my asking, where did you work before you died?" the older man asked. "And how did you manage to spy on Lord Voldemort without him suspecting anything?"

"I was the Potions teacher here and Head of Slytherin House after I defected," Severus replied coolly. Dumbledore looked mildly surprised, but he didn't comment. "I continued teaching during the time that the Dark Lord was presumed defeated, and I returned to him with half-truths and partial information on the Order. He accepted me as a loyal Death Eater, and I found an answer to everyone who questioned my motives. Your death, as well, helped secure my position, but you hadn't told anyone else about the plan. The entire Order hated me for it."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, taking in the information. It seemed that a thought had suddenly occurred to him, as his eyes snapped to Severus'.

"Why did you change your mind?" he asked the boy, more curious than suspicious. "You had power and fame, and a master who could possibly have ruled the world. No doubt that was appealing to a young man."

Severus sneered slightly, seeing a jibe toward Slytherins in the old man's words.

"It was Lily, I already told you that," he replied irritably. "The Dark Lord meant to kill her, so I came and begged for your help." That old remorse suddenly settled on him again, and he added softly, "It was all my fault. I told him about the prophecy, but I had only heard part of it. Maybe he would have been more cautious if he'd known the rest."

Dumbledore smiled at him kindly, no doubt seeing a small, helpless boy rather than a jaded ex-Death Eater.

"Maybe this would be easier if I just showed you my memories," Severus said with a slight frown. "Can I use your Pensieve?"

"Of course," the Headmaster replied, standing up to remove the stone basin from its stand. He placed it on the desk in front of the two of them, and the boy took out his wand.

Severus thought for a moment about which memories to show Dumbledore, then decided that their previous conversations would probably be enough. He touched the tip of his wand to his temple, pulling it away slowly. Shimmering silver strands of memory dropped gently into the Pensieve, and Dumbledore looked to Severus.

"We'll go together," he told the boy firmly, though Severus didn't know why. _Why wouldn't I go with him?_ he wondered to himself briefly, then leaned over the basin. The two of them were pitched forward into Severus' memories.

The first thing the former Potions master noticed was that the memories were chaotically blended, with bits of one merging into another. That sometimes happened when the user of the Pensieve was trying to unload several memories at once. He cursed mentally, but there really wasn't anything he could do now. They would settle eventually and Dumbledore could look at them later.

_"Don't kill me!" A memory-Severus, around 20 years old was standing in a stormy forest, a memory-Dumbledore pointing his wand at him._

_"That was not my intention," the older man replied, the wind whipping his long robes around him. "Well, Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me this time?"_

The scene blurred slightly, and the two of them were standing in the Headmaster's office.

_"I thought . . . you were going . . . to keep her . . . safe . . . "_

There was some indistinct mumbling on memory-Dumbledore's part, then:

_"Her son lives. He has her eyes precisely her eyes. You remember the sharp and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?"_

_"DON'T! Gone . . . dead . . . "_

_"Is this remorse, Severus?"_

_"I wish . . . I wish _I_ were dead. . . . "_

They were suddenly standing outside the main entrance to the castle.

_"You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon," Dumbledore was telling a horrified Severus._

They were in Dumbledore's office again, memory-Severus ranting at the Headmaster:

_"You have used me."_

_"Meaning?"_

_"I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be keeping Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter-"_

There was more swirling of color and images; among them were the sword of Gryffindor, Marvolo's ring, the Dark Mark on his left forearm, the silver doe, the damaged diary and a basilisk fang, and the flash of green light, followed by Dumbledore falling backward off the Astronomy Tower.

The real Dumbledore cast a curious glance at Severus, then the two of them were back inside the Headmaster's office.

"That didn't go as well as I'd hoped," Severus informed the older man glumly. "You can look at them later, though, they'll separate after a while."

"Do you trust me, Severus?" Dumbledore suddenly asked the boy, blue eyes piercing.

Severus let out a derisive snort. _Of course not, Albus._

"No," he replied bluntly. "I gave you everything after she died, and you didn't bother to tell me your plans from the start. You manipulated me into doing what you wanted me to do. As I said before, I spent fifteen years as a Death Eater on your orders. I obediently gave you the information you asked for, planted false trails that you told me to, outright lied in order to save my life and the Dark Lord's faith in me. And I was killed because of your plan. You wanted me to kill you so Lucius Malfoy's son wouldn't have to do it, but you also wanted to die undefeated so that the Elder Wand wouldn't change ownership. The Dark Lord believed the wand was mine, so he killed me. If it weren't for that, I would still be alive. So, no, I don't trust you."

Dumbledore seemed intrigued at Severus' apparent dislike of him, but he only nodded.

"Alright, I think you may leave now," he told the boy. "I'll look through the memories later, and I'll send you a message if I need to know anything else."

_Finally! _the former Potions master thought to himself, relieved at the dismissal. He had almost made it to the door when a final question stopped him.

"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice rang out. "In your memory, there was a book. It was the diary, I assume, but what was the tooth with it?"

The boy paused for a minute, then turned back to the Headmaster with a huge smirk on his face.

"There's a basilisk in your school, Albus," he replied snidely. "The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets can be found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, but you need to speak Parseltongue to get in."

When the older man looked rather alarmed, he added with a grin, "The Dark Lord opened it during his fifth year at Hogwarts, remember? Only a Parselmouth can control the dirty great snake, but little Harry killed it with the Sword of Gryffindor in his second year. You should really look into taking care of your pest problem."

With that parting message, Severus swept out of the Headmaster's office, pausing only to glance back at the expression of horror and concern etched across the old man's face. The boy let out a short, harsh laugh once the door had closed.

_You can take a man out of Slytherin, but you can't take Slytherin out of a man_, he thought to himself with amusement as he descended the staircase. Severus had an odd sense of humor and he knew it. However, humiliating Dumbledore seemed like the least he could do to the man who had controlled his life for so long.

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><p><strong><em>Note:<em>** Yes, Severus has a sense of humor, and yes, it's a bit twisted. ;) I think that, at this point, he wouldn't trust Dumbledore very much. After all, he feels like the man manipulated him into protecting Lily Evans' son for seventeen years only to have the boy killed by Voldemort. ALSO, I have no idea whether Severus knew anything about the Horcruxes or Hallows. However, I think he might have been able to guess what the ring was, based on the symbol on it and the fact he knew about the Elder Wand when he was killed. He probably would have guessed that the sword destroyed the ring, as well, since it was laying on the desk when he treated Dumbledore's injured hand.

The Horcrux part is harder to reconcile, but Regulus Black was able to guess what the locket was after Kreacher told him about it. Voldemort had apparently dropped enough hints by then, obviously believing that he was the only one who knew about Horcruxes. It's possible that Severus could have come to Dumbledore with his suspicions of there being at least one and Dumbledore may have told him what he knew so far. Personally, I don't think it would have happened because Voldemort could have seen the conversation in Sev's mind, but I'm making it that way for the sake of the fic. Please don't flame me! It's all just speculation.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings!**

**_Author's note**:**_** I'm so, so sorry I haven't updated in a while! D: Unfortunately, school is making my life hectic right now, and I don't know how often I'll be able to put new chapters up. Hopefully they'll be posted more regularly once things settle down a little. However, I am pleased to say that I've found a beta. :) Her name is Jaime, she's really nice, and you should check out her profile (J.). Chapters might take a little longer to be published because of the editing involved, but I think it'll help the story. Again, I'm really sorry about the delay. Happy reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

Severus was in an unusually cheerful mood as he made his way back to the Gryffindor tower. Most of the students had headed to their common rooms for the night, and it was apparent that dinner had been finished for a while. It was already growing quite dark outside, and the boy wondered just how long he had spent in the Headmaster's office.

As he passed by the library, a hushed argument caught his attention. Recognizing the voices, the former Potions master backtracked a bit and peered around the corner.

"Get over yourself, James," Lupin was saying exasperatedly. "He's not that bad."

"He _attacked _me," the other boy insisted. "Did you hear what he was saying? He knows dark magic!"

Severus rolled his eyes. Of course they were talking about him.

"Yeah, he's really creepy," Black added. "He's probably corrupting you with his evil mind magic or something." Lupin snorted.

"As if," the sandy-haired boy replied. "He's actually a pretty decent bloke; you just haven't bothered to take the time to talk to him."

"But he attacked me!" Potter whined.

"Yes, and you insulted him first," Lupin reminded him. "Oddly enough, I never said anything rude to him, and he's been nothing but polite to me. Maybe if you'd get your head out of your-"

"Oi!" Sirius said loudly, cutting the other boy off. "Look, we just wanted to talk some sense into you. That Snape kid is bad news, and we were trying to warn you about him. You're smart, right? Maybe you can help us get back at him, if you know what I mean."

Lupin closed his eyes briefly in exasperation, and then turned to face Black.

"I don't really know what's going on between you two and Severus, but _I'm staying out of it,_" he replied, sounding annoyed. "I told you, I don't have anything against him. Don't bother asking for my help in your stupid pranks or whatever. And just keep in mind that, whatever you do to him, he'll probably fight back. He's not the kind of person to take a beating lying down."

The sandy-haired boy picked up his bag and started walking to the door, then turned and added, "If you know what I mean".

As he exited on the opposite side of the library, Severus grinned to himself at the dumbstruck looks on Potter's and Black's faces. _So I guess little Lupin has a backbone, after all_, he thought with some amusement.

Deciding it would be best to catch up with the boy, Severus started on a shortcut to the Gryffindor Tower. It wouldn't do for Lupin to get lost and then be cornered by Black and Potter. The former Potions master slid through a door pretending to be a wall and saw Lupin walking quickly down the adjacent corridor.

"Hey, Lupin," Severus called, catching up to the boy. "I saw you in the library." He decided it was best to be straightforward.

"Oh, right," the other boy replied quietly. He gave that same embarrassed sort of smile again, the one he had given when Severus caught him with the chocolate. "Godric, I hope they don't hate me too much. I can't believe I said all that."

Lupin groaned slightly and buried his face in his hands. The former Potions master almost felt sorry for him, but he was in deeper trouble with Black and Potter than the other boy.

"No, you'll be fine," he replied, vaguely hoping he was right. "I think they respect you enough to leave you alone. I, on the other hand, am not so lucky. They'll be begging you to help get them out of trouble in no time."

Severus didn't know if he was actually telling the truth, but it seemed to reassure Lupin.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, by the way," the dark-haired boy added quietly. Nobody had ever sided with him before, other than Lily. It was a nice feeling, knowing that he could trust more than one person. He trusted Lupin, even if they weren't really friends.

Severus had spent almost 16 years forced to work with the werewolf, and Lupin had been willing to put aside the events of their school years in order to end the tension between them. The Potions master hadn't been able to do that before, but maybe this was one of the things he could go back and fix. In any case, Lupin seemed to believe that Severus wasn't a bad person, and the dark-haired boy wasn't about to turn away a potential ally.

"We should probably get back to the common room," he added, not giving Lupin time to say anything that might put Severus in his debt. The sandy-haired boy simply nodded and the two of them continued on their way to the Gryffindor Tower.

"So, which classes do we have tomorrow?" Lupin asked conversationally.

Severus glanced sideways at the other boy, but Lupin didn't seem to be making fun of how well the former Potions master had done in class that day.

"I know we have Charms and Defence in the morning," he replied. "And then Herbology in the afternoon. I think flying lessons might be tomorrow, too."

The sandy-haired boy made a small, unhappy noise and Severus turned to look at him.

"You've flown before, haven't you?" he asked, surprised. Most children from Wizarding families had been on a broom at least once before they attended Hogwarts.

"Ye-es," Lupin replied slowly, drawing out the word. He sighed slightly. "When I was about six, we visited my cousins' house for the day. One of the older ones thought it would be funny to see me try to fly around with a Hurling Hex on the broom. It kept trying to buck me off, and I must have been fifty feet above the ground before one of the adults rescued me. I haven't flown since then."

Severus grimaced sympathetically. His mother had taken him flying sometimes when he was little, before his father snapped her wand, so he didn't have any problem on a broom. In fact, he had played on Slytherin's Quidditch team for two years before Regulus Black & Co. bought their way onto the team with brand-new Nimbus 1001s.

"You'll be okay," he told the other boy. "They're really careful about that kind of stuff around here. I mean, the school brooms probably aren't in great condition, but the teachers check them for jinxes like that."

Lupin still looked a bit uncomfortable at the thought of flying, and the two of them continued up the staircase in silence. Upon reaching the Fat Lady's portrait, the sandy-haired boy muttered "Cor unum" and they entered the Gryffindor common room.

Severus was still a little taken aback by the amount of scarlet on the walls, but he gritted his teeth and stepped through the portrait hole. As his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he found that Lily was sitting on the couch by the fire, with her two roommates at the other end. All three of them were watching a few older boys play Exploding Snap, and one of them looked vaguely familiar to Severus.

When the door opened, the boy could see Lily glance automatically at whoever was coming in. The way her eyes lit up when she recognized him tugged at his heart and made him remember exactly why he had decided to come back. _This is all for you, Lily_, he thought to himself, giving her a smile. _Maybe Dumbledore can protect you- us -this time_.

"Oh, I'm glad you found him, Remus," Lily said gratefully. "Sev, Potter and Black went downstairs, so I asked Remus to follow them and make sure they didn't try to ambush you or anything. I know you said you could handle them, but they spent a solid 20 minutes in a corner by themselves, whispering to each other. They're plotting something, I'm sure."

Severus felt his ego take a bit of a blow. A first year girl was trying to protect him from a couple other first years? The idea was laughable. Of course, this was Lily, and she had always acted like that.

"Really, I'll be fine," the boy insisted, taking a seat on the couch next to Lily. "They can't do anything I can't handle. Remember, they're just first years. We haven't learned enough magic to do any sort of harm to anyone, and they won't be able to do any powerful spells they might find in a book."

Lily still looked rather sceptical, but she didn't comment. "Here, Remus, you can sit down, too. Sev, budge over," she instructed the two boys, Severus moved closer to Lily and the sandy-haired boy took a seat on his other side.

"So, who are these fellows?" Lupin asked in a low voice, nodding his head toward the four boys playing the card game.

"Umm… I know three of them are second years, and one's a third," Lily explained. "Jason Diggory is the one on the left- he has an older brother in Hufflepuff, I think. He's a second year. Frank Longbottom is another second year, but I don't remember the other two names," The girl gave a sort of half-shrug, as if the names didn't mean anything to her.

Severus nodded, knowing that was who he had recognized. Frank Longbottom had been a good Auror after Hogwarts, and he and his wife did a lot of work for the Order. The former Potions master hadn't known either of them well, since they were tortured before he really got involved.

The portrait hole swung open again, and all three children sitting on the couch glanced up again. James and Sirius were entering the common room, smug looks filling both of their faces. Lily cast a glance at Severus as the two boys sauntered away toward the dorms, obviously letting him know that they were up to something. Severus simply sighed and settled to deal with it later, whatever it was.

"Just leave it," he murmured to Lily. "I'll sort it out later. You have faith in me, right?"

She gave him a drowsy sort of smile in response, and he realized just how late it was.

"Did you finish your Transfiguration homework already?" Severus asked her, noticing a piece of parchment sitting on the table in front of the couch.

"No, not yet," she replied. "I was working on it, but I got tired. Maybe you can help me tomorrow? I think I understand most of it, but I still haven't gotten that bloody thimble to transform yet."

"Oh, Severus, could you help me, too?' Lupin asked hopefully, not appearing to realize he was intruding on the other boy's Sev & Lily time.

The former Potions master clenched his jaw to prevent himself from spitting out a rude retort. Why did Lupin have to be so eager and friendly? They would all be better off if he just left Severus and Lily alone. He forced himself to smile, though, knowing the other boy was intelligent enough to take a hint eventually.

"Sure, no problem," he replied, any traces of irritation in his voice hidden. _Thank goodness for all those Occlumency exercises_, he thought to himself. _Imagine that: I'm using highly advanced training to hide my feelings from an eleven-year old. Dumbledore would be so proud. He has lots of experience in hiding things from other people, _including_ eleven-year olds!_

"Lily, you should probably get to bed soon," Severus told his best friend with some concern. She was yawning hugely and seemed ready to fall asleep on her feet. "Magic is incredibly draining on your body as well as your mind. You're not used to it as much as some of us, either, since you didn't grow up around magic."

The girl nodded in response, looking slightly relieved at the excuse to head up to her dorm. She gathered her things and left the two boys with a soft "Bye". However, the look she threw at Severus over her shoulder showed that she still didn't believe he would be able to deal with Black and Potter by himself. The boy sighed, knowing he'd have to prove her wrong before she'd accept that he could take care of himself.

"We might as well head upstairs, I guess," he said, turning back toward Lupin. "Unless you want to stay down here to watch the rest of the game, of course." The sandy-haired boy shook his head and the two of them made their way up the stairs and into their dorm room.

The first thing Severus noticed upon entering was that the Intruder charm he had put around his bed had been set off. He could feel the difference in the magic- someone had been near his things, but nothing appeared to have been moved. Potter and Black were talking quietly with each other, though they looked up with blank, innocent faces as Severus and Remus came in the room.

"Hello there, Mister Snape," Potter said cheerfully, in a similar tone to the one Sirius had used at breakfast. "How are you this lovely evening? Actually, don't answer that. It'll spare me the time of pretending to care."

Severus frowned. "Look, I told you I don't want any more trouble," he said, now sorely regretting suggesting the alternative name. "Just leave me alone, I'll leave you alone, and we'll get along fine."

He continued his inspection of his belongings, but no one had touched them since he had locked his trunk that morning.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll get along fine and dandy once you've seen what _we _can do," Black replied in an equally pleasant voice.

Remus simply raised an eyebrow and began putting on his pyjamas. He obviously didn't want anything to do with whatever drama James and Sirius were causing.

"'Night, Severus," the sandy-haired boy muttered quickly and climbed into his own bed, pulling the curtains shut.

The former Potions master sighed inwardly, knowing he wouldn't be receiving much help from Lupin. Black cast the most fleeting of glances at the young werewolf's bed, but he kept his attention on Severus.

Not finding anything missing or out of place, the former Slytherin busied himself in getting ready for bed, as well. The other two boys unconsciously mirrored his actions, but Severus could practically sense their anticipation. He had almost developed a sixth sense for it while he was in school the last time, knowing just when they would spring to attack.

They didn't say anything else to him, though, and he clambered into his own bed. The lamps in the room went out by themselves when all four sets of curtains were closed, and Severus tucked his wand into his pillowcase again. He didn't want any nasty surprises. However, it seemed he was too late for that.

As soon as his head hit his pillow, it started emitting a horrible shrieking noise that echoed around the room. Nearly falling off the bed as he scrambled backward, Severus fumbled for his wand to try to make the terrible sound stop.

"Silencio!" he shouted amid the screeching, and the pillow stopped making noise. He prodded it cautiously with his want, but it appeared to be nothing more than a simple Caterwauling Charm. Muffled sniggers from Potter and Black's beds brought them back into his awareness. He narrowed his eyes. _So they want to play dirty, then?_ He thought to himself. _I suppose I should wash them off, then._

Severus drew back his curtains slightly, just enough so that he could see both of the troublemakers' beds. "Meteolojinx isolatus!" he whispered, making a swirling motion with his wand. Two miniature thunderstorms appeared above each of the beds, complete with pouring rain, occasional flashes of lightning, and realistic thunder.

Loud protests arose from the two boys as they and all their belongings were quickly drenched. The lamps in the room flickered back on as the three remaining sets of closed curtains were thrown back open- apparently, Lupin was intrigued by the spell and wanted to watch. Severus smirked.

"It's not very nice to play tricks on people, now is it?" he asked the two soaking wet boys snidely.

They shot him identical glares and tried to escape the storms by scrambling away from their beds. However, the little thunderclouds simply moved with them across the room, creating puddles on the floor. Potter took out his own wand and tried shooing the cloud above his head away, but to no avail. Apparently seeing the stubborn look on Severus' face, Sirius decided to try to appeal for help in a different way.

"Reeeemmussss," he whined, stretching out the boy's name. "You have to help us, pleeeeease?"

The sandy-haired boy scowled- he was remembering the incident in the library, no doubt -but he took out his own wand anyway.

"Finite incantatem," he said firmly, pointing his wand at each of the clouds in turn. They shrank and eventually disappeared, leaving behind several large puddles and two extremely unhappy boys. Severus was quite impressed at the other boy's knowledge, but Lupin turned to him with a shrug. "Mum always uses that when other spells go wrong," he explained simply.

The young werewolf climbed into his own bed again, pulling the curtains shut without another word. Severus raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything, either. He was about to get in his own bed again, too, when he realized he should do something about the puddles.

"Tergeo," he muttered, pointing his wand at the water, and the puddles shrunk just as the clouds had done. He noticed that Potter and Black were starting at the vanishing water somewhat wistfully. They were probably thinking of their own sopping wet belongings.

"Not a chance," Severus told them with a smirk. The house-elves would probably clean up during the night, anyway. He climbed into his own bed again and pulled the curtains shut. _Well, day two was relatively successful,_ he thought to himself with satisfaction as he closed his eyes. _Marauders 1, Severus 10_


End file.
